A preliminary 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Rancho Palos Verdes, a city in Los Angeles County, California, on Monday, January 1, 2024, at 10:54 a.m. local time. The quake was felt across the South Bay and parts of Orange County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)¹.
The epicenter of the quake was located about 9 miles southwest of Rancho Palos Verdes, at a depth of 6.2 miles. The USGS initially reported the magnitude as 4.0, but later upgraded it to 4.1. No significant damage or injuries were reported as a result of the quake².
The quake was the latest in a series of seismic events that have occurred near Rancho Palos Verdes in the past year. The city lies near the Palos Verdes Fault, a 43-mile-long strike-slip fault that runs along the base of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The fault is capable of producing earthquakes up to magnitude 7.3, according to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEDC)³.
The SCEDC recorded 19 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater in the vicinity of Rancho Palos Verdes in the past 30 days, and 216 earthquakes in the past 365 days. The largest earthquake in the area in the past year was a 5.1 magnitude quake that occurred near Ojai, California, on June 15, 2023¹.
The SCEDC advises residents to be prepared for earthquakes by securing heavy objects, creating an emergency plan, and having a disaster kit ready. The SCEDC also provides real-time earthquake information and maps on its website³.